


Dr. Buttons

by Ashtree11



Category: Control (Video Game)
Genre: Established Relationship, F/F, Fluff, OC
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-01
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-13 02:36:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,821
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29769417
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ashtree11/pseuds/Ashtree11
Summary: Jesse goes to Emily's office to find it a complete mess. The Head of Research is missing her calculator, and Jesse being the attentive partner and Director that she is, offers to go look for it.based on a Control Incorrect Quote post on tumblr
Relationships: Jesse Faden/Emily Pope
Comments: 6
Kudos: 25





	Dr. Buttons

**Author's Note:**

> so this has been living in my google docs for ages now and i wasn't sure if i was going to post it  
> but it's a fun little thing that i still enjoyed writing, so i hope that you enjoy reading it as well :3
> 
> thank you Dikhotomia for letting me borrow your OC Chitose! I hope I did your girl justice haha

“Where is it? _Fucking hell ,_ ” was what Jesse is greeted with as she walks into Emily’s office.

While Jesse has come to expect the usual clutter in the woman’s office, this was complete disarray. Papers litter the carpeted floor, whiteboards were wheeled away from their usual places, and Emily herself is a hurricane of movement.

“Uh... Is there an Altered Item loose in here or something?” Jesse wonders warily as she glances about the disheveled space. “I mean, I know you’re an advocate for ‘organized chaos’ and all, but I’m pretty sure this is just chaos now, Em.”

Emily sighs deeply, clearly and utterly flushed with frustration as she rakes her fingers through her hair. “I don’t enjoy seeing my office like this any more than you do, believe me. I just can’t seem to find D—my calculator _anywhere_.”

Jesse didn’t miss the near slip of the researcher’s tongue and her curiosity piques. But the genuine distress on Emily’s face as she digs out all of the contents out from a hapless file cabinet makes her save any questions for later. “If you need one right away then I can go borrow one from the labs,” she offers, jerking a thumb over her shoulder.

Emily smiles tiredly. “Thank you, Jesse. But I really need to find this one.” Then she adds under her breath just as she moves to empty another drawer, “I swear I _just_ used it where the _fuck_.”

Jesse stares on, marinating in the surprise show of sentimentality her partner has for something like a calculator. After all, she was the one to say that it’s Bureau 101 to hold as little sentiments as possible.

 _Scientists really like their tools_ , Jesse supposes. And this calculator clearly means a lot to Emily.

After a moment, she walks over and lays a hand over Emily’s shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze to pull her attention away from her frantic search. “I’ll ask around and keep an eye out for it, okay Em?” she says gently. 

Her words manage to earn a small smile from the researcher. “You do seem to have a knack for finding things around here.”

“Damn right I am. Just hang in there, we’ll find it before the end of the day, I promise.” Jesse winks before leaving the office with determination in her stride.

***

“I... should’ve asked her what the damn thing looked like,” Jesse grumbles to herself after wandering about the Research Sector for the last five minutes.

But since this was Emily Pope, the Head of Research and an accomplished scientist, it’s probably a safe bet that what she’s looking for is a scientific calculator. Like one of those fancy Texas Instruments or something, right?

The clock that she passes shows that it was three o’clock, giving her exactly two hours to find the calculator as per her promise. Shouldn’t be too hard.

An easy place to look would be one of the labs. _So what was Emily working on last?_ she wonders as she digs through her memory for a clue, wondering if she stole a passing glance at a document or scrawled note on one of the many whiteboards the researcher maintains.

“Director Faden,” someone calls out.

Reflectively, she winces at the formal title but she turns around to greet the newcomer regardless. “Yeah?”

The scientist stops, standing at attention and with her arms crossed behind her back. “Have you had a chance to look over the proposal for experimentation on AI84-KE, ma’am?” At Jesse’s questioning eyebrow raise, the scientist clarifies, “The James Dean car that came into our possession last week? Dr. Pope said she would leave the files on your desk this morning.”

“She did?” Emily never said a word about any reports and she’s infamously diligent about keeping Jesse in the know about these sorts of things. Missing this calculator of hers must really be doing a number on her. “Sorry, I must’ve just missed it.” A ‘breakdown in communication’ she’s heard the mailroom workers call it. She’s still getting the hang of office lingo. “I’ll take a look later. Since you’re here though, you wouldn’t happen to know where Dr. Pope's calculator might be would you?”

The scientist blinks, taken off guard by the sudden question. “Her calculator? No, ma’am, I can’t say that I have. But if it’s urgent she can borrow mine.” With a smooth flourish, she unsheathes the device from a holster strapped to her belt.

Jesse stares. Scientists _really_ like their tools.

“Uh, thanks,” she says, awkwardly shifting foot to foot. “But she seems pretty dead set on finding hers. Was she in any labs since this morning? I’m thinking that maybe she left it there.”

As the scientist replaces her calculator back in its holster, she hums in thought before nodding. “Yes, she was in the Ritual Division as a consultant for the proposal.”

Jesse nods. “Ritual Division, got it. Great, thanks for the intel.”

“Certainly.”

***

The first time Jesse’s traversed through the Ritual Division, it was back when she first met Marshall and she had taken it upon herself to breach through the line of Hiss keeping the Rangers at bay. At the time (and in the subsequent visits that came afterwards during the lockdown) Jesse never truly realized just how _big_ the subdivision was. While not the largest in the Research Sector, not by a long shot, it certainly rivaled the scale of the Odyssey when one is trying to find a singular device somewhere within it.

Ignoring curious looks from passing scientists and analysts, Jesse digs through several desk drawers and cabinets, through storage units and even garbage cans. While she managed to find a few calculators, they disappointingly bore Sharpy-written names of their respective owners.

When yet _another_ desk yielded zero results, Jesse lifts it telekinetically and goes to launch it at the nearest wall.

“Ah, Director Faden!” a voice greets through the sharp whistle of displaced air that occurs whenever she lifts an object. The agent looks on with a cordial smile, unaffected by the Director’s show of her paranatural ability. “What brings you to Ritual? Here to discuss the specifics of the Dean vehicle proposal?”

After an agonizing beat, Jesse clears her throat, lowers the desk, and straightens out her jacket. “Uh, yeah it was brought to my attention. I said that I would read it over after I find what I’m looking for.”

“Oh! That’s surprising to hear that you’d misplace something _here_ of all places, but perhaps I can be of some help?”

“It’s not me, it’s Dr. Pope,” she corrects. “She’s looking for her calculator, but I feel like I’ve found everyone else’s except hers.”

“Well, that’s not good,” he says gravely. The grim downturn in his tone makes Jesse tilt her head curiously. Was losing a calculator really that serious around here? Polaris chimes behind her eyes, seemingly just as confused as she is.

Meanwhile, the agent continues, “I do recall her leaving here with it if that helps at all.”

Jesse groans, letting her head fall back to look up despairingly at the office ceiling. So the Ritual Division is eliminated, but that still left the _rest_ of the sector up for search. 

But before the weight of the arduous task could firmly settle onto her shoulders, an idea came to her. There’s one person who can find any and all kinds of info in the bureau. _Of course_.

“Christ, why didn’t I think of this earlier?” she berates and dashes out of the office space before the agent could even question her train of thought.

***

The Investigations Sector has seen intense renovations and cleaning since the eradication of what-was-once-Hartman. The staff is slowly growing to its former state, the vestiges of the Darkness disappearing thanks to replacement bulbs, and a new Head for the department has been appointed. Speaking of which:

“Chitose! Just the woman I need,” Jesse shouts as she runs up beside a smartly dressed woman with a stride that means all business all the time. Her raven hair, tied back into a ponytail, sways and the sheathed katana bounces against her hip as she walks.

“No,” Agent Hawthorne deadpans, looking straight ahead towards wherever it was she’s going. Despite her unfaltering brisk pace, Jesse matches it.

“Fuck you, I didn’t even say anything.”

“You want me to help you find something, and the answer is no, I’m busy. Besides, don’t you have a car report to read over.”

“Why is everyone on about that?” Jesse asks under her breath. “Wait, why do _you_ know about it?”

“Pope’s the one to make sure you’re taking breaks, so I’m the one who’s gonna make sure you’re ass gets back in gear. Can’t have the Director slacking off now, can we. Are we done here?”

“You know, I thought being the Head of Investigations meant that finding shit would be right up your alley.”

“Just because I’m Head of Investigations doesn’t make me your personal sleuth.”  
Jesse rolls her eyes. “Says the one who seems to know everything that goes on around here without really needing to.”

“What, did you _want_ to keep your trashing of the Ritual Division a secret?” Chitose snickers. “Cuz you’re just about the least subtle person I know.”

“I wouldn’t say that I _trashed_ it,” she defends. This is going nowhere... Looks like it’s time to break out her secret weapon. “And here I thought that your soft spot for _Emily_ would be a deal breaker here.”

Finally, Chitose side-eyes her, and Jesse barely suppresses a victorious smirk. No, fuck it she wears the smirk loud and proud. Moments like these are rare. “What did Pope lose?”

“Oh? Do I finally know something you don’t?” Jesse says in a sing-songy lilt.

“Do you want my help or not, Faden.”

She clears her throat. “Her calculator.”

Surprisingly, Chitose’s brows furrow in what might actually be genuine concern. “I see.”

“Yeah she’s been tearing up her office looking for it. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her like this before. What the deal with that thing anyway?”

“Oh, she hasn’t told you?” she muses in the same teasing tone Jesse had just used moments before. “It’s not my place to explain, but finding it would be the first step to getting an answer.” 

Chitose stops in her tracks, takes a deep breath, and closes her eyes.

“Uh...” Jesse glances about, unsure of what was happening. “What’re you—”

“Sh.” The investigator holds up a finger. “I’m thinking.” 

A pause. Jesse taps the tip of her boot against the tile.

“Pope was in the Ritual Division, yes?”

“Something about looking over the proposal, yeah. The agent there said that he saw her leave with it though. I don’t know if she’s been anywhere else in the Bureau before ending up in her office.” Jesse sighs and looks at her wristwatch with rising defeat. Thirty minutes left until quitting time. “I promised her I’d find it by the end of the day. Seeing her upset like that doesn’t look right on her, you know?.”

Chitose hums in response, a cross between soft acknowledgement and deep thought. Seconds pass and suddenly her eyes snap open to give Jesse a pointed stare. “Maybe you should go read over that document after all.” And with that, the Head of Investigations resumes her trek.

“The fu—Wait, I thought you said you’d help,” Jesse sputters.

Chitose turns, strolling backwards as she gives her a lackadaisy two-fingered salute and a shit-eating grin that would probably look more sinister if it was directed towards anyone else. “I just did. Your office awaits, Madam Director. You still have twenty-five minutes left of the day,” And with that, she rounds a corner and disappears from sight.

***

She still has no idea what Chitose meant by her needing to read the car report or what it has to do with Emily’s calculator, but with fifteen minutes of the day left to go Jesse practically sprints through the Executive Sector and into her office.

The leaves of the plants dotting the room sway from her sudden entry, almost as if they were greeting her.

“Hey, guys,” she says, smiling despite her frazzled state. 

Crossing the room towards the desk, Jesse sees the tell-tale maroon coloration of an FBC folder. Peeking out from its folds were pristine white sheets of paper with one bearing the header: **AI84-KE Experimentation Proposal**

Sitting down, she takes it in her hands and flips it open, taking in the blocks and blocks of text with unfocused, and indifferent comprehension as she tries to wrap her head around how reading this would bring her closer to finding Emily’s calculator.

When no answer presents itself, Jesse sighs and tosses the folder back on the desk and is about to throw herself back against her chair in defeat when she realizes that there was a sizable gap between the folder and the desk’s surface.

Confused, she lifts it back up.

Seconds pass.

“No fucking way,” Jesse mumurs in disbelief as she swipes the hidden calculator off the desk. Emily must’ve left it here when she dropped off the report. 

The first thing she noticed about it was that it did turn out to be a Texas Instrument calculator, a fact that she celebrated internally. The second thing she noticed is that it’s ancient as _hell_. It was easily something from the 70’s, certainly nowhere near the advancement that scientific calculators are known for. Black buttons stood out against an off-white background and were worn from constant use, yet still in fair condition for their age.

But even _that_ was overshadowed by another detail, the smallest one in fact. Right in the center of the calculator, just beneath the screen was an old, nearly faded sticker of a bowtie.

Three knocks ring out through the office followed by a swift paced Emily crossing the threshold. “I can’t find him anywhere, Jesse. Have you had any luck?” she asks as she rubs her left temple.

Jesse stands, holding up the calculator for her to see. “I, uh... maybe?” Genuinely, she wasn’t sure if it was, but then the widening of Emily’s eyes and her soft gasp became all the confirmation she needed.

“Oh my god, Dr. Buttons!” In a blink, Emily comes up beside Jesse and plucks the calculator from her grip. She turns it over in her hands, as if inspecting for any damage while completely unaware of what she had said. “Where was he?” Earnestness shines in her eyes as the innocuous question hangs between them. 

Unable to help herself, Jesse snickers. “Dr. Buttons?”

Emily sputters, finally realizing her slip, “I-I mean, my calculator... that doesn’t have a name. At all.”

Undeterred, Jesse leans forward with a smirk that keeps growing by the second. “Dr. _Buttons_?”

Emily sighs, her gaze falling to her shoes as pink rose to her cheeks and the tips of her ears. With a warm chuckle, Jesse leans down and kisses her on the forehead. “You don’t have to be embarrassed. It’s cute.”

“You don’t think it’s silly?”

“Honestly, I’m more offended you never introduced us sooner,” she teases and pokes the bowtie sticker on the device. “Such an _esteemed_ and hard working individual at the FBC, and I never got acquainted?”

Emily snickers and the embarrassed tension in her shoulders loosen. “Oh of course, my apologies, Director Faden. An egregious oversight on my part.”

“Is he on the payroll? I can have him added so he can treat himself to a spiffy new tie.” When Emily laughs more heartily at that, devoid of any trace of embarrassment, Jesse beams with victory. “So, how long have you had him?”

“Oh, for as long as I can remember,” Emily says once she calmed down. “He belonged to my father first and I remember being fascinated by how it worked. How can this little thing count higher than me? I think it was my seventh birthday that my parents asked what I wanted and I said that I wanted this calculator. 

She thumbs the faded bowtie wistfully. “There used to be more stickers, but they’re long gone. I’m glad that this is the one that endured.”

Jesse hums in agreement before grinning haughtily, “Damn, you were a nerd even back then, huh.”

“And what of it?” Emily quips. “Where would you be if I hadn’t been?”

Jesse’s grin softens, humor giving way for fondness to gleam in her eyes as she wraps an arm around Emily’s waist and pulls her flush against her front. “Absolutely miserable.”

Chuckling, Emily places the calculator on the desk and returns the embrace. “Damn right. Thank you for finding him, by the way. You really do have a knack for finding things.”

“Actually, we might want to send some dango or something to Chitose. She helped out a lot.”

“Ah, of course,” Emily says, still grinning. “I’ll get right on that then.”

**Author's Note:**

> as always you can find me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/Ashtree111)


End file.
